Laundry hamper



Jan. 20, 1953 J. J. wELDoN Erm.

LAUNDRY HAMPER 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed Aug. 51, 1951 J. J. WELDCN ET AL LAUNDRY HM/IPERl y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Jan. zo, 1953 Filed Aug. 3l, 1951 Jr; Jan J. 14e/lam .5e ril. ,.Lez'

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Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAUNDRY HAMPER John J. Weldon and Beryl L. Levitt, Chicago, lll.

Application August 31, 1951, Serial No. 244,612

sorted immediately upon being placed in the hamper. This eliminates the necessity for later sorting of the soiled laundry immediately prior to cleaning thereof by the housewife or commercial laundry.

Heretofore the housewife has customarily placed all soiled laundry in one container, which is periodically removed by a laundry driver. (In

. this description it will, for convenience, be contemplated that the soiled laundry will be done by a commercial laundry, but it will readily be seen that the advantages of our hamper will apply equally to those instances wherein the laundry is done .in or out of the home.) This soiled laundry is then taken to the commercial laundry where sorters separate the various pieces of laundry'- into appropriate piles. Following the sorting process, laundry of like kind is placed within laundry bags which are in turn placed in machines for washing. The sorting process in the laundry is not only a disagreeable and unhealthy task, but also an expensive one as additional help must be used for this sorting process. Also a very large percentage of the articles of laundry which are lost each year by commercial laundries are 10st during this sorting process. Equally, a great source of lossin the laundry industry each year is due to damage done to clothing which is incorrectly sorted and mixed with laundry not of a like kind.

It is an object of this invention to provide a v relatively simple and inexpensive laundry hamper which provides an easy method of sorting the laundry in the home, thus dispensing with the sorting process in the laundry itself and the attendant cost of sorters and the loss connected with said sorting process.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of our laundry hamper with the cover closed;

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view with the cover open, certain portions being broken away to show various construction details;

Fig. 3 is a front sectional view with the cover open, certain portions being broken away to show various construction details;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary setignal View, partly 2 broken away, showing further details of the invention Fig. 5 is a top view with part of the cover removed; A Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a bottom corner of the hamper;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of our invention, and

Fig. 9 is a sectionalview on line 9-9 of Fig. 8. Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diiferentgures of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1-7, our laundry hamper includes a S-dimensional rectangular frame. The frame comprises upper and lower portions that telescope one another in a detachable manner. The lower portion of the 3-dimensional frame comprises a rectangular base frame I6 that forms the base of the hamper. A base frame leg I1 extends vertically. from each corner of the base frame i6. Upper portion Ha (best shown in Fig. 4) of each leg I1 has a reduced cross section compared with the remainder of the leg. As illustrated, upper portion Ha is a dowel member that telescopes the leg l1 and is secured therein by suitable means l'lb.

The upper portion of the 3dimensional frame comprises a rectangular top frame 20 of the same size as lower portion I6. Top frame 20 has front and rear longitudinal members 2| and transverse end members 22. Tubular legs 23 extend downwardly from the four corners of top frame 20, and the internal diameter of such legs is of proper size to telescope in a detachable manner the reduced end portions Ila of the base frame legs l1.

The rear longitudinal member 2l is provided with a pair of hinges 25 to which is secured a cover 26. The hinges 25 may be removably attached to member 2| and may be provided with suitable stops so that when opened. the cover assumes av limiting position such as shown in Fig. 2.

The body of the hamper comprises an outer laundry bag I8 having a generally flat bottom Illa (Figs. 2 and 3) and front, rear and side portions 'A of a height corresponding generally with the disis first removed from the lower frame portion. Outer bag I8 is fitted over the lower portion of the frame by inserting base frame legs I'I thro-ugh correspond-ing apertures IBb in the bag bottom. Thereafter the two frame portions are telecoped together.

The top frame 20 is provided at its corners with bag suspending means such as hooks I9. The upper marginsof .outer bag .t8 has cooperating means suc'h as apertures 28 whereby the bag is suspended fro-m the hooks I9.

Our laundry hamper also includes a plurality of smaller inner laundry bags 2'I. These bags .are disposed within outer bag I8. and are suspended from means such as hooks .3D that are .spaced Ialong the length of the front and rear longitudinal members 2| of the top frame '20. 'Each'bag I2'I is provided at its uper margin with means such as apertures 3| which cooperate with hooks .3.9 to support thehags in .open mouth condition.

As seen in Fig. 3, there are five inner .bags .2?

.in the A-illustrated hamper. The under surface of cover 26 is divided into sections generally designated by numeral .3.2, each. section being vertically related to one of `the inner bags. Each section `contains a legend .generally designated by numeral :33 that sets forth theparticular .tvpes of laundry Ythat fall into a sorting classification. Typical legends are illustrated in Fig. y3.

yBv reason of the respective legends and the .associated i-nner laundry bags 21, it will be seen that proper laundry sorting mav .readily be accomplished bythe user lat the time when soiled `.laundry is lplaced Yin the hamper. With this arrangementthe user does all the sorting. thereby ymaking it unnecessary for the commercial laundry Ato perform this service. :or making it unnecessary fori-,he user V.to furthersortthe laundry prior to washing.

`@ne advantage of lthe telesconing frame construction is the ease with which outer bag I8 may ,beannlied to and-removed from the hamper frame. 'Ihe mannerof applving .the bag to the frame hasalreadv been mentioned. When .inner .bags 2." are full, .or the laundry driver is ready to pick up the laundry. the respective-bags, both inner and outer, are -detached from their supportinghooks 30 and ..I-9 respectively. Inner bags 2'! are-first removed from theirhooks and closed by appropriate .sealing means such as a large launpin commonly used by commercial laundries. They are then allowed to collapse .within` .the

4@outer .bag I8. The upper portion of the frame vis lifted 4away from `the lower portion, and outer bag .I8 is lifted upwardly to clear legs I1. The router laundry bag is now folded to a closed posi- .tion andmay be fastened with appropriate fastening means such as a belt. The .bag .of laundry is now .ready to "go with all the contained articles of .soiled laundry properly sorted within the individual inner bags 2.1.

An additional advantage of the telescoping construction is 'that the overall size of the hamper is. minimized when .the hamper is empty. The bags `I.8 and 2.1, being exible, allow the upper `portion of .the frame tote'lescope the lower portion amaximum amount.V However, as the inner bagslfl .are Vlled with clothing, the telescoping framework allows the size of the hamper to increase, thereby providing for the accommodation .ofamaximum amount .of laundry. This maximum, of course, is limited by thesize of the bags .and-the lengthof reduced portion :I .'I'a of the base legs IJ.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. In this form, outer laundry bag 35 is suspended within the confines of the framework. As shown in Fig. 8 vertical legs 36 do not telescope but rather extend continuously between base frame 3'I and top frame 38. In other respects the two hampers are alike, it being noted that outer bag 35 and inner bags 39 are suspended from hook means 40 carried on top frame 38. Inhanging .or removingputer bag 35 from the framework, the bag is passed through the open front or side of the frame. In all other respects operation and use of this modification are .thesame as have already been described in connection with Figs. 1-7.

"The invention .described is practical and economical to vmanufacture and is particularly use- Jful for the purposes for which it is designed. VMaI-ry `variations in the detail of structure may be resorted to as, for example, the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The invention accordingly gis not to be considered 4as limited in `any .respect Vto the specific details of structure shown ibut is tobe considered comprehensive of all-forms of structure coming within the Ascope of `the appended claims dening the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim .as Vnew and desire .to secure ,by Letters `Patent is:

1. A vlaundry hampercomprising a rectangular base frame, vertical .base frame .legs 'at le'achgco'rner of said base frame, said legs being reduced in cross-section at their lupper end portions, .a rectangular top framayerltical'tubular top frame legsat each corner of saidtop'framasaid tubular top frame legs removably telescoping the .upper .ends of said base frame legs, spaced bag suspending .means .on Said top frame, a cover hingedly .connected .tio said .top frame, wa pliable outer laundry bag, said'bag havinglbottom openings Ato .pass .said .base `frame vlegs and means .at themouth thereof for removably engagingsome .ofsaid lbag suspending means, a plurality .of smaller bags within said .outer bag, said smallerv bags having means at the mouths .thereof for removably engaging vsome ofsaid .bag suspendingmeans whereby said smaller bags .are supported in yopenmouth condition, and `sorting .legends .on the .underside of said .cover in alignment with the respective smaller bags.

2. A laundry hamper .comprising a YS-dimensional frame, .said frame having a plurality of spaced bag .suspending means on its upperlongitudinai members, .an outer ylauindry vbag having means at its upper margin for removablegengage- Ament with some .of .said bag suspending means, vand. .a plurality of .smaller bags within saidfouter bag, saidsrnaller bagshaving means at their upper margins for removably suspending lsaid inner bags in .open mouth condition for some of said bag suspendingmeans.

3. In a laundry hamper, a 3-dimensional frame, an .outer .removable laundry bag supported from the top of said frame in open mouth condition, a plurality of smaller inner bags removably fitting inside said frame and .within said outer removable bag, means .for removably suspending vsaid inner 'bags from the top of said `frame 'in open mouth condition, and a cover hingedly connected to the top of said frame, said cover .having sorting legends on the underside thereof 'in alignment with the respective Vinner bags.

4. In a laundry hamper, a .combination of a 3-dimensional frame, a plurality of laundry bags, means on said frame for suspending said bags from said frame in open mouth condition and side by side relation, and a cover hingedly connected to the top of said frame, said cover having sorting legends on the underside thereof in alignment with the respective bags.

JOHN J. WELDON. 5 BERYL L. LEVITT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lo `file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date McGraw Apr. 27, 1909 Bamma-n et al. Apr. 18, 1916 Huggins Jan. 9, 1917 Sheridan Nov. 27, 1923 Locke et al Mar. 13, 1934 Friedlander Mar. 20, 1934 Krusehwitz June 12, 1934 Dowd Aug. 30, 1938 Alderstein Aug. 8, 1950 

